Kevin Sumlin is in his third season leading the Aggies in the SEC and they will see how it feels without Johnny Manziel at the helm for the first time in the toughest conference in college football. Take a look at the games on the 2014 slate. less

Kevin Sumlin is in his third season leading the Aggies in the SEC and they will see how it feels without Johnny Manziel at the helm for the first time in the toughest conference in college football. Take a ... more

Photo: Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle

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<strong><center>Thursday, August 28: at South Carolina*</strong></center><h3></h3>
<center>*Southeastern Conference game

<strong><center>Thursday, August 28: at South Carolina*</strong></center><h3></h3>
<center>*Southeastern Conference game

COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin for the most part put the wraps on what South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier dubs the “talking season” on Monday night during his final Coach’s Night in A&M’s Memorial Student Center ballroom.

Thank goodness for all involved – because the talking season often just grows long-winded at some point. The Aggies open their season on Aug. 28 against Spurrier and the Gamecocks in Columbia, S.C., and they report for camp on Thursday.

“We’ve got practice starting in about 72 hours,” Sumlin said of winding down the Coach’s Nights circuit and SEC media days and ESPN visits and so forth. “It’s great to be back home.”

A few of the highlights – and low blows – from the terrific event put on by the Brazos County A&M Club that raises scholarship money for deserving students:

* A year ago at this same event A&M athletic director Eric Hyman joked that the moon and Texas A&M have something in common: They both control the tide. (A&M was coming off a stunning upset of top-ranked Alabama 29-24 in Tuscaloosa in 2012).

This year, following the Crimson Tide’s 49-42 victory at Kyle Field?

“We’re going to pass on that one,” Hyman said Monday of retelling the tide gag. “I’m going to stick to being an athletic director.”

* Sumlin said 6-foot-6 senior tight end Cameron Clear has bulked up to about 285 pounds (he’s listed at 274 in the latest media guide) and is primed for plenty of use this season. Sumlin said Clear’s true debut came in the Aggies’ dramatic 51-48 victory over Duke in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, when new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital was calling the plays and Clear was clearly (get it?) more involved.

* Sumlin reiterated the Aggies must get better play at safety (and a crowd of more than 1,000 all responded with a silent, “Amen.”) Overall, A&M rated 109th defensively last year.

* Regarding the team’s many discipline problems in the past year or so, Sumlin said he’s made hires for people to lead his players in life, not just in football. One of those is Mikado Hinson, the new team chaplain and director of player development. Hinson had also been with Sumlin at the University of Houston.

* Sumlin dropped this joke at most of the Coach’s Nights but it bears repeating: Whoever the crowd picks for starting quarterback (between sophomore Kenny Hill and freshman Kyle Allen), he’s going with the other guy.

* Finally, Kyle Field redevelopment chairman Sam Torn vowed the stadium, currently undergoing a $450 million makeover, will be ready for the Aggies’ Sept. 6 home opener against Lamar. It’s not scheduled for overall completion until a little more than a year from now, but A&M is scheduled to play all of its home games at Kyle in the meantime.